title: Detection of breast cancer cells using immunomagnetic beads and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Molecular methods permit the detection of cells too few in number to be detected by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, or flow cytometry (1-5). Numerous investigators are therefore developing sensitive and specific reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for tumor cell detection. The detection of small numbers of tumor cells in blood, lymph node, and stem cell harvests may have a significant impact on our understanding of the spread of breast cancer, and eventually may impact the management of breast cancer patients as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Evaastora Hospital, Evanston, IL.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kaul